From The Counter
Just a few pics from a previous dinner at The Counter in Kahala Mall.
And be sure to keep up with the very latest with The Counter by following @counterburger on Twitter.
hawaii
Save Kaho’olawe
Yo environmentalists! Did you know you can help restore the Hawaiian island Kaho’olawe? You can sign up for a four-day tour to clean up the desolate land and plant new vegetation. Of course, you do need to be wary of unexploded ordinance (UXO) during your stay.
If interested, you can get more info here. There’s a Facebook page about the volunteer effort and some pictures on FB.
A Commencement Shaka Instead of a Handshake?
This weekend, UH will have its graduation ceremony with one twist. There will be no congratulatory handshake from the Manoa Chancellor, Virginia Hinshaw, due to fears about transmitting swine flu.
Yes, the H1N1 influenza A virus is present at the UH dorms, and the chancellor who also is an expert in infectious disease does not want to potentially spread the virus by shaking thousands of hands.
I say give the graduates a commencement shaka instead of a shake!
No Utada for You
JPop star Utada was scheduled to visit Hawaii and promote her new album This Is the One. Unfortunately, she’s sick with peritonsillitis and had to cancel.
Don’t let her appearance and JPop background fool you though. Her music is not what you think. On iTunes, This Is the One currently has 1247 reviews and is averaging 4.5 stars! Every song is solid, ranging from ballads to dance tracks.
Even though Utada’s not coming to town, you can get her MP3-format album for only $5 on Amazon for a limited time. You won’t be disappointed. Listen to samples below.
Calling Out the Tabasco Man
There is only one person I thought of when I heard there’s going to be a hot dog eating contest in Hawaii– the Tabasco Man! You know the drill, eat as many dogs in 10 minutes.
The contest goes down July 26 at Don Quijote Pearl City. Start practicing!!
You Get What You Pay For
Last night, I had to help by brother-in-law who’s premium European car stalled on the way home. I didn’t have to do much since the car is equipped with a special service call button that notifies the “watchmen” of any troubles. Fancy says my wife who also comments that you get what you pay for.
But somehow I found it funny that Boyz Towing came by to tow the fancy car away. I guess you had to be there.
Hands Free Starting July 1
Get your hands free mobile phone technology going with the impending ban of using electronic devices while driving. You need to get one of these!
Ha! This pic is from 2005!
Hawaii’s Dancing with the Celebrities
Hawaii’s version of Dancing with the Stars, Dancing with the Celebrities, allowed several local celebrities to strut their stuff for charity. Honolulu Magazine has an inside look of the event.
Am I a Glutton?
Am I a glutton for cacophony? Or maybe it’s just my weak mind, but I was compelled to give 93.9 and 98.5 another evaluation this morning. The result? Better but not near status quo.
Starting with 93.9, I tune in only to hear Maleko having technical difficulties during a contest. The contestant couldn’t hear the game. Fail! Later, Maleko blames malfunctioning equipment for the miscue. Double fail!! I know it’s still a transition time for all, but please, own up to having some troubles, and don’t take the easy route of blaming the equipment.
Later in the programming, Maleko started a listener call-in with an abstract topic. It started with swine flu then having Governor Linda Lingle quarantining all of Hawaii. Then the story shifted to having to repopulate the rest of the (decimated I guess) world and naming a celebrity you’d like to “procreate” with. Wha?
After several songs and commercials, the responses I heard were “Edward Cullen” and “Oprah.” Triple fail!!! Edward Cullen, the make believe vampire from Twilight?! This topic was off-the-wall to begin with but naming a fictitious character and The Oprah was too much.
Things on 98.5 were better with the return of the ringleader aka Rory Wild. He was back on air running the show and guiding Gregg Hammer to his excellent impersonations. Seemed like the duo were making up for yesterday’s sucky show with too much improv, but it was great to have Rory running the show again. Crystal Akana got to step her game up and keep up. Hint, hint, Crystal, when Gregg starts Reggae Time, you gotta get into it and accompany the party that is Reggae Time.
Still though, I just can’t get into the music format of Island 98.5 and even the revamped playlist of 93.9. I’ll be listening to my iPod in the mornings more and more it seems.
Birthday Party at Kualoa Ranch
Not my birthday but went to a birthday party at Kualoa Ranch. It was my first time there and got to enjoy the party along with a tour of movie sites filmed at the ranch.
Cacophony on the Airwaves
Ugh, what a mess on the airwaves this morning. Last week, I heard about the shakeup on Hot 93.9 and Island 98.5 amongst others. For this Monday morning drive, I listened to both stations to understand the wisdom behind these decisions. My first thought:
Cacophony
What a mess at both stations! Out of reverence, I started with Rory and Gregg of the displaced Wake Up Crew on 98.5. I validated my personal selection of music and Island reggae ain’t it. No offense, but just not my style, and I don’t know if it’s the Wake Up Crew style as well. First off, where was Rory? I didn’t hear the Wake Up Crew leader during my entire drive. As you know, Rory is the stage setter who masterfully synergizes the show and its personalities.
Listening to the 98.5-version of the Wake Up Crew was a downer. No energy exuded from the show. Maybe it’s the mellow music and laid back lifestyle the station is geared towards. The background music was dull, and I know it’s still early, but the interaction of Gregg and Crystal Akana just isn’t there (yet?). I also felt that Gregg was “dumbing it down.” I don’t know if this was on purpose, but Hammer’s an akamai guy who seemed to be catering his delivery this morning.
Over on 93.9, I didn’t hear from Maleko or Natasha for some time. I know people complain about not enough music on the airwaves, but I think this was too much. For too long of a stretch, I only heard songs and mainly commercials or station promos. To make things worse, the handling of all of this was a mess. Very abrupt and harsh transitions without any sense of flow. Song plays then cuts off at the end, a commercial, followed by a 93.9 promo, then a commercial then another song – the transition between them very disjointed.
Around 8:00, there was a teaser with Hammer making a vocal appearance on 93.9. Was he returning home? Nope, just doing a promotion for his Mother’s Day show at Dave and Busters. He sounded so natural on 93.9, amicably bickering with Natasha…
What I really miss from the Wake Up Crew in the morning is their perspective, experience, and antics. I want to hear their views of topics and events, not just the straight up news. I’m not a boxing fan but really want to hear their rendition of the Pacquiao fight. It’s their spin of the news intertwined with their own experiences that make the Wake Up Crew great.
Rory and Gregg might be able to find their magic on 98.5, but I regret I’ll be missing it.